The Fear of Being Alone
by TheOriginalVDSweetheart
Summary: Elena Gilbert has the same apprehension as all humans, but to whom she turns to help calm it will change the course of her life...and the entire Mikaelson family's lives, forever.
1. The Agreement

Elena Gilbert was human. No doubt about that. She knew the decision that she was about to make was stupid, but as a human, she had the same fears as every other human. She was afraid to be totally alone. She had faced death, vampirism, being critically injured by a psycho (several times), a coma, and now she had been revived by a spell that her friends had searched half of the world for. However, what she came back to was less than desirable. Jeremy was gone. Damon and Stefan were preoccupied. Caroline was mothering Alaric's twins. Bonnie had her own obligations, as well. It almost seemed as if she'd been resurrected only to be left to fend for herself. So, She decided that it was time to move on, start a family, even if it was by herself. However, she never expected that she'd go this far to do it.

Elena woke up from a deep slumber one night. Her dreams had caused her to become soaked from sweat. She took a quick shower, got dressed, and climbed in her car to take a drive. It started off as a drive around town, but soon, she found herself driving passed Mystic Falls city limits. She didn't expect that she'd keep driving until she hit the 'Welcome to Louisiana' sign. When arriving in New Orleans, she parked by a sidewalk and took out her phone, scrolling down her contact list. It was night once again. Elena had drove an entire day without sleeping, only stopping to use the bathroom and pick up a snack or two. She stopped when she found HER number, pausing for only a brief moment, before pressing call. It went straight to voicemail, "You've reached Rebekah. Leave a message at the tone and I'll get back to you at my earliest convenience." Elena pressed end call. She sat with her hands on the steering wheel, thinking. When she's given up hope, something occurred to her. There had been one person who knew where the manor was, Tyler. Elena would just have to talk it out of him. She did just that, explaining that she had to get a drop of Klaus' blood, because Caroline was pregnant and if she got bit by a wolf, she'd need healing immediately or it would put the twins in danger. After promising a million times not to get herself in any danger, she finally talked him into giving her the location.

There she was, sitting in her car in front of Mikaelson manor. Everything she ever knew could be changed in a single action. She wanted a child, one of her own. She had heard stories of Klaus' child. She never believed they were true until Rebekah had come to Mystic Falls with the baby, long before the second cure and Elena's 'death'. She tried to fool everyone into thinking she adopted, but Hope's appearance told a different story. The baby was the spitting image of Klaus and upon Elena's confrontation, Rebekah reluctantly admitted that Hope was Klaus and Hayley's child.

Elena stared at the mansion for the longest time, trying to talk herself out of this stupid move. Just when she thought that she'd start the car and her journey back home. She opened the door and got out of her car, making her way to the door, knocking once and waiting for the door to open. She wanted to turn back, but it was like she couldn't control her own actions. Desperation had swept over her. She hoped that someone else would open the door, she'd make up an excuse about why she came and leave. But, no one else answered the door. It was the one, the only, Klaus Mikaelson.

Klaus had a peculiar look on his face, one of suprise. She was the last person that he wanted or expected to see. His face quickly changed to that smirky Klaus pokerface. "Isn't this an interesting twist. To what do I owe your visit, Elena? Come to offer yourself as a sacrifice in order to save your pathetic companions? Who is in peril? Stefan? Damon? Matt? Or is it the witch? She always did have a mouth. It was bound to catch up to her sometime." He stopped there, not daring to let his thoughts drift to Caroline.

"I need to talk to you...alone." Elena's eyes searched the house for any sign of life. The last thing she wanted was Elijah or Rebekah to hear her bargaining for a child with a man that she despised. She still did despise him, but this beat going to get artificially inciminated with a random guy's sperm. The very thought of a needle going up into her made chills run down her spine.

Klaus leaned against the doorframe, not quite ready to invite her in, yet. "You may speak freely, my siblings are not home. Hayley has gone out as well. " His eyes searched her face for any sign of what she wanted.

Elena's eyes casted downward and back up to his. "I want a child with no strings attached. You help me and I'll give you anything you want. I'd owe you." She was blunt, knowing better than to beat around the bush with Klaus.

Klaus chuckled. He stood up right, drawing closer to her. He thought he was losing his mind upon hearing her words. "Am I comprehending? You. Want a child. With me. Why do you think that I can give you this child? You are aware vampires cannot procreate. And, why would I want to?"

Elena folded her arms. "I've heard about Hope. If you were to... Give me a child. Then, like I said, I would owe you."

Klaus pulled her inside and shut the door. He grabbed her by the neck and pushed her against the door. "What game are you playing?" He growled, squeezing her throat, tightly.

Elena struggled. "I'm not playing a game." She gasped for air. "Klaus, it's a win for you. You get unlimited access to a doppelgänger. My blood whenever you need it! Think about it!"

Klaus stared at her for a moment. An unidentifiable emotion flickered across his face as he let her go. "I'll do it.." He smirked as his lips came inches from hers. She realized that she was still against the door. "Under two conditions. You live with me."

"How is that no strings attached?" Elena grew frustrated, trying to ignore the fact that he was extremely close to her.

Klaus whispered to her, his warm breath sweeping across her lips. "My strings won't be attached to you, love. You'll be free to come and go as you please."

Elena eyed him. She wasn't sure about this, but after a moment, she shrugged, "Condition number two?"

"We go about it...in a traditional manner." Klaus smirked.

Elena swallowed a lump in her throat. She set aside her fear and disgust that she was actually doing this and went into what she could only describe as 'Katherine mode.' "Deal."

She whispered and caught his lips.

Surprise swept across Klaus' face, once more, but in a moments notice, he was kissing her back. His moist lips massaging hers. He traced his tongue around her lips, begging for entrance.

Elena parted them, slightly, allowing his tongue to explore her mouth. Elena felt his hand on her thighs, pulling her dress up, until it was above her waist. Klaus had worn Elena out by the time he was done treating her to a night of rough sex. She lay on top of him, too tired to move. Laying on the couch beneath her, Klaus held her. He was tender and sweet, rubbing her. It wasn't something that she was used to coming from him. She wasn't used to feeling safe in his arms, but for whatever reason, she did tonight as she drifted off to sleep.

They awoke to a blanket being thrown over them, the shock on Elijah's face as evident as Elena had ever seen it. She usually couldn't read him. "Camille will be here shortly, Niklaus. I would recommend a more decent state. I am not sure how she'd feel about your escapades with another woman, after you claimed your love for her." Elena looked between the two, guiltily, adjusting her dress and practically, flying out of the door.

Klaus stopped her. "We had a deal."

Elena stared at him, before sighing and whispering, "If I'm pregnant, I'll let you know. Otherwise, leave me alone."

Elijah frowned at Klaus, after Elena was gone and Klaus had explained what Elena asked of him. "You should've told her. Elena has morals. She isn't Katherine. She wouldn't have gone through with it, had she known about Camille. You omitted that you already had a commitment and now, she will regret this for the rest of her life."

Two months passed.

One morning, Elena woke up to Damon staring at her. She was feeling sick, but she knew what he wanted. They hadn't slept together since...she didn't let herself even think the name. She kissed Damon, forcefully to prevent any thoughts from developing farther. His mouth tasted minty, but disgusting. She loved Damon. His kisses were always desirable, but before she knew it, she was in the bathroom, puking her guts up. Damon tried to console her, but she insisted that she needed to be alone.

Once Damon left, Elena jerked the cabinet door open and fumbled around. She pulled a box of tampons out and hidden inside was a pregnancy test. She sat on the floor for the longest time, staring at it. Elena already knew the answer to the question. Did she really want to confirm it? She sighed, heavily and stood up off of the floor. The longest five minutes of her life began. She put the test on the counter and sat on the side of the tub, waiting. When she finally got up and looked, she wanted to scream. How could she be so stupid? Why did she have to go to the one man that had cost her so much and ask him to give her a child?

Elena hid it from everyone, and couldn't bring herself to call Klaus. She was humiliated. It wasn't until she ran into Elijah, that she finally broke down and admitted that she was indeed, pregnant. Elijah allowed her to cry into his chest, while rubbing her back. He'd always had feelings for her, and this wasn't fair. She didn't deserve this. Elena was much different from the other doppelgangers, from his other lovers as well. She was everything that he wanted and yet, his brother once again took it for himself.

Elijah kept Elena's secret, but after not hearing from Elena, Klaus was bound to check up on her, due to the possibility of her carrying his child.

Early one morning, Elena woke up to blue eyes glaring at her. Her hand had been on her belly and at six months pregnant, there was no hiding it. Damon would no longer even look at her and the blue was a deeper shade. So, she knew exactly who it was. She gasped as Klaus walked towards her and sat on the side of her bed. An evil grin stretched over his face as he stared down at her.

"Elena, love, I do believe you have failed at keeping your end of the deal. And, since I can't take mine back. I will just take from you, the result of our little...arrangement." Klaus said, grabbing her face, forcing her to stare at him. She wasn't on vervain, which pleased him.

Elena struggled, "Klaus...Please..." She begged, tears welling up in her eyes.

Klaus stared at her for what seemed like an eternity, before letting her go and standing up. He picked her up out of bed and they both disappeared into the night. Elena passed out from the force of the wind as Klaus ran. When she woke, she was back in bed, but not her own. Fourteenth century paintings on the wall, told her exactly where she was. Klaus was standing in front of an easel, painting away.

Elena stayed quiet for the longest time. As she watched him, she noticed that Klaus looked conflicted. "Good Morning, Sunshine." He said, not taking his eyes away from the painting. His British accent flourished, which sent chills down Elena's spine. "Morning." She said in monotone. Klaus finally looked at her. "Get dressed. We have much to discuss. We will do so in a place where the walls do not have ears." He walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Elena draped her feet off of the bed. She felt sick, emotional, angry. It was like she was living a nightmare. In what world did she think this would be a good idea? He was Klaus Mikaelson for God sake. There were more strings attached to this than there would have ever been with anyone else. Her emotions were boiling up inside of her and in a moment's notice, before she could stop herself, she was screaming and crying, knocking things over, breaking things, things that could never be replaced. She half expected Klaus to storm in and attack her, but he didn't. Instead, he stood in the doorway, watching her and waiting for her to calm down. It was the first time Elena noticed that Klaus had changed. But, it wouldn't be the last, because whether she liked it or not, she was stuck in New Orleans with the Original hybrid, the father of her child.


	2. Us Girls Have To Stick Together

Hayley didn't expect to come home to a pregnant Elena Gilbert losing her mind in Klaus' room. Elijah had warned her of a mess that Klaus had made, but he refused to tell her exactly what. Of all the things that ran through her head, the scenario before her wasn't one of them. Elena Gilbert had never crossed her mind.

When Hayley stepped out of her car, she could hear the commotion upstairs. She stood in the foyer, listening until she heard Elena's voice whisper in an upset tone, "Why am I so stupid? I am carrying Klaus Mikaelsons' child. How did my life take this screwed up turn?" Hayley shot up the stairs and into the room like a bullet being shot from a gun. She stood behind Klaus, staring at the picture displayed before her. Elena was sitting on the floor, glass and debris all around her. She was indeed pregnant and Hayley's mouth couldn't help, but drop open. "Are you serious, Klaus?!" She stormed passed him, causing Elena to look up. Embarrassment swept over Elena, but Hayley didn't seem to care. She squatted down in front of her. "Calm down, okay? It's not good for the kid. You wanna take a walk and explain to me how the hell you got into this?" Hayley asked, seeming to be genuinely concerned.

Elena was hesitate. She hadn't seen Hayley in quite a while, but she could tell that she, too, was different. They all seemed to be, even Elijah. Elena nodded once and Hayley helped her off of the ground. Klaus moved out of the way to let them pass, Hayley giving him an intense glare. She went and got Hope out of her room. The child always had a calming effect and Hayley figured Elena could use it. She gave Elena a comforting smile as she walked out into the hallway. "Elena, this is Hope. Hope meet Elena Gilbert." She introduced, but to her surprise, they weren't strangers. They'd met before.

Elena and Hayley walked around the French Quarter as Elena explained her stupid decision and how it came to be. Hayley stayed quiet, only occasionally chuckling and giving a "Whoa. What?" Finally, after Elena was finished, Hayley laughed, "What in the hell were you thinking Elena? You know how he is."

Elena shrugged, "I don't know. I was...I don't know."

Hayley kissed Hope's head as she layed it down on her mother's shoulder. "Well, welcome to the family, I guess. He's not gonna let you leave. Not with his kid. And, if you wanna live, I don't suggest running. Learned that one the hard way. I ended up cursed in the bayou for months. The best thing I can tell you to do is try to get along with him. It won't be easy, it never is, but he's not completely the same. As much as I'd still like to strangle him, he's not the monster everyone says he is...well, not all the time."  
_

Elena returned late that night after spending the day with Hayley and Hope. Klaus was sitting in the study, having a drink, staring out of the glass door. Elena walked up beside the chair. "Guess I'm ready for that conversation, now." She said.

Klaus took a sip of his drink. "Well, I'm not." He said in an emotionless tone. "Not tonight."

Elena stared at him. "Okay?" She said and turned and walked away. She went and climbed in Klaus' bed, not knowing where else to sleep. Klaus never got into bed with her and in a way, it relieved her. She didn't know how she felt about this whole thing. She laid there, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't seem to sleep. She got up around three in the morning and went into the kitchen. Elena searched for food, but didn't find much until she went into the freezer. A tub of strawberry ice cream was the only thing in it, but that was good enough for her.

"Touch it and your death will be slow and painful." A voice warned from behind her. She turned to see a blonde woman, who she didn't recongnize. The woman's eyes looked over her to rest on her belly. "Actually, go ahead, I'll just get more later. I'm assuming that you're Elena?" The woman walked over, got a spoon from a drawer, and handed it to her.

"Yep." She said, grabbing the ice cream and digging in. "I take it everyone in this house has heard how stupid I am." Elena rolled her eyes and sighed. Why couldn't everyone just assume that she was some pregnant girl that Elijah took in. He did stuff like that. Or, he would, she thought.

"Not everyone." The woman said, "I wasn't told directly. I overheard Elijah and Klaus. Freya, by the way."

"You're the big sister. Hayley said something about you, today." Elena assumed.

"You are correct." She took the tub of ice cream, grabbed a spoon and sat down at the table. Elena followed suit.

"I'm surprised your being so cordial. I'm lucky Rebekah hasn't lost it on me yet. Then again, she's probably avoiding me."

"Rebekah is not with us." Freya said, "And, I have no choice, but to accept you. You are pregnant with my brother's child." She took a big bite of ice cream and passed it to Elena.

"Not exactly the answer I was looking for."

"I'm sharing my ice cream. If I didn't like you, there's no way in hell you'd be getting any, but I've seen your past actions from both of my brother's memories. You aren't the worst thing to happen to them."

Elena gave a sarcastic smile, "Good to know."

"As Rebekah would say, Us girls must stick together."


	3. Five Years

Five years. Five years had passed. Klaus had sent Elena back to Mystic Falls only weeks after kidnapping her and she hadn't seen him for five years. Three years ago, Caroline had gone and looked for him. She was told that he hadn't been seen. Elena never understood the sudden change of heart or why the hybrid had left her alone to raise his child when he made a big deal about him being in the child's life in the first place. A part of her was thankful. Cadence had grown up without having to look over her shoulder, because her father had a thousand years' worth of enemies. Then, there was that part of her that was pissed off. She didn't even know why, really. She'd asked him to help her conceive a child. She wanted no strings to be attached. He had let her go with the kid. It made no sense for her to feel any type of anger, but she did.

Elena was a hidden secret in the weeks she was in New Orleans. When she moved back to the city when Cadence was three, no one asked questions, except Damon, Stefan, Caroline. Her own personal peanut gallery. Their opinions stopped mattering to her a long time before. The Original family were the only ones that knew of Cadence's origins. So, she lived peacefully in the city until Hayley returned.

"Elena?" She heard her voice and Elena Gilbert froze in place right in the middle of the street.

Elena turned around and looked to the hybrid. "Hayley?" She exchanged a quick glance passed her. "Hope?"

The little girl beside Elena spoke up. "Mom? Who are they?" There was a lot of explaining to do and Elena had no words.

Hayley seemed to read her expression, because she spoke up and said, "An old friend." She briefly smiled at Elena and looked around, realizing that they were indeed being watched. Hayley took them back to her truck and left. She parked on the outskirts of New Orleans.

It took hours to explain all that had happened and Elena just sat there dumbfounded. She didn't know what to think.

"Look, I know this is a lot, but he did get you and your unborn daughter out of harm's way. It's up to you. You don't have to help me. I'm on the verge of bringing them back with or without you."

Elena looked back at the girls playing together in the backseat. She thought about Elijah and Freya. If anything, she'd do it for them. "He's her dad." She looked at Hayley, confirmation in her eyes.

It was time to save Klaus..Who the hell thought she'd be willing to save Klaus?


	4. Not Leaving

When Elena was seen with Hayley, it put Marcel on high alert. He started digging to find out who she was. However, he was limited. Elena acted normal. She was human, there was no indication that she was tied to the Mikaelsons, and no one knew much about her or where she came from. He was at a dead end. So, he told his men to keep watch on her.

Elena did nothing out of the ordinary for a few weeks. She acted completely human. Her daughter stayed with Hayley and Elena missed her dearly, but she couldn't call or it might raise suspicion. She didn't know how close she was being watched. Once Elena noticed that she was being followed a little less, she began sneaking around. She was the one watching Marcel this time. She called Bonnie to help and though the witch was reluctant, she did. She put a cloaking spell on Elena. No one could see or hear her as she snuck around New Orleans, trying to figure out where Klaus was.

Finally, after a few days, Marcel took her right to him. The hybrid was in a room with brick walls. He didn't look too good. The doppelganger had never seen Klaus like this. He hallucinated and talked to someone by the name of Cami. Elena recognized the name. Hayley had told her of Cami's death. To top it off, there was a bite on his neck that wasn't healing. He looked starved and it occurred to her to feed him. It was such a bad idea, but she held her wrist to his nose. She still had her scent.

From the moment, the doppelganger put her wrist to his nose, Klaus's veins popped out. The scent was familiar. He almost said her name, but stopped himself. It was just another hallucination. A trick of the bite that Marcel had gave him. It was quite funny. He had bitten a load of people, but he never knew what it felt like. Until now. Marcel's bite couldn't kill him, but it didn't feel good. He imagined the bite felt a hell of a lot worse than his own.

Elena decided that she needed the cloaking spell off. So, she texted Bonnie. When she appeared before Klaus, he only laughed. "First I smell you, now I see you. To what do I owe this hallucination? Are you here to taunt me? Here to punish me for ruining your life? Go ahead. Make my day. You'll be no worse than the others I've had." His words made her roll her eyes. "Seriously? I'm pretty sure that we called a truce when you agreed to get me pregnant." She held her wrist up to his mouth. "Bite me. Literally."

Klaus laughed at her, but stopped when she said to bite. He narrowed his eyes and stared at her with suspicion. He couldn't bite a hallucination. He took her wrist and put his lips to it, opening his mouth and sinking his fangs into her arm. She gasped as he pulled her blood into his mouth. It tasted so sweet, so delicious. If he didn't stop, he was going to kill her. What did it matter? She was going to die anyway if Marcel caught her in there, but her words dawned on him. He'd gotten her pregnant. They had a child. He stopped and pushed her away across the room. "What in the bloody hell are you doing here? Don't you have a baby to take care of?"

Elena stared at him. "I have a kid. She's five now, Klaus."

Emotion flickered across his face, but it was gone as quick as it came. "It's been five years?" His tone sounded emotionless, but realization was dawning on him. As he looked up, Elena's eyes were staring at him with a peculiar look on her face. "What?" He asked, barely changing his tone. Her hand lifted and she pointed at him. "Your neck." She said. He reached up and touched his neck. Nothing. There was nothing. The bite was gone. His mouth fell open. He looked around quickly. "You have to go. Now. You are the cure. He will kill you." He vamped over to her and took her face in his hands, making her look into his eyes. "Go, Elena. Tell my daughters that I love them dearly. Don't come back."

Elena shook her head. "I'm not leaving without you." She pushed him away. "You don't get to decide if I leave or not. I let you do that last time and look what happened."

"Isn't that what you wanted anyway?" That famous smirk returned to his face for the first time in five years.

"I thought I did until I was lying in a hospital alone. Damon never got passed what I did. Stefan, well, you know. I told everyone to stay away." Elena looked down at the ground. "In a matter of weeks, I learned you weren't the monster I thought you were. Then, you sent me away and I have spent the last five years hating you for it." She looked up into his eyes. "So, if I'm leaving, you are, too."

"How about both of you stay right where you are…"


	5. Freedom and Revelation

**_Outfit after outfit. None of her clothes fit. Elena ended up laying on a pile of clothes, curled into a ball, crying. This was such a minor issue and she was crying over it. She felt so weak and pathetic. She was absolutely miserable._**

 ** _"You know, love. Tears won't make those clothes stretch..."_**

 ** _Elena sat up and threw a pair of jeans at him. "Go away!" She groaned. She was not in the mood for Klaus' sarcasm. She wanted to be left alone to sulk in private. Especially, because she was in nothing, but undergarments. He walked over and put the jeans near the pile and stepped towards a closet. Pulling the doors open, he revealed a whole wardrobe inside. Elena eyed him suspiciously._**

 ** _"You may thank Elijah." Klaus walked over and held his hand out. As she took it, he helped her up and walked from the room. Elena watched him until he was out of sight. He was acting different lately. She couldn't put her finger on it. She got dressed and went downstairs to Elijah's study. "So? How do I look?"_**

 ** _Elijah looked up from the book he'd been reading. "Lovely as always." He smiled before looking back down at his book._**

 ** _"I wanted to thank you for the wardrobe."_**

 ** _"I beg your pardon?"_**

 ** _"The wardrobe...the clothes.." Elena paused. "You didn't do it, did you?"_**

 ** _"I'm afraid not." He looked, confused, before it dawned on him that she was wearing a new outfit. Elijah had been quite distracted due to the events that were taking place lately._**

 ** _Elena sighed, "I'll leave you to it." She turned and started to walk from the room._**

 ** _"Elena?"_**

 ** _Elena turned to face him once more._**

 ** _"You do look quite exquisite."_**

 ** _Elena nodded. "Thank you." She turned and walked from the room. As she walked down the hall, she was confused. Klaus hadn't took credit for something he had done. This was all so strange to her. He'd changed and she saw it more and more every day._**

Elena laid on the cold concrete floor of the room they were in. Her wrist was chained to the wall and all she could do was stare at the ceiling. Marcel now had both the hybrid and the doppelgänger at his mercy.

Klaus hadn't said a word to her since he'd yelled at her for not leaving while she had the chance. He sat there, leaned against a wall, staring off. It was a while before she interrupted his thoughts with another groan of agony. She'd been trying her best not to show the pain of her injury, inflicted on her when she attacked the super vampire. She tried to stab him with a dagger that she had in her boot. Marcel reflexively threw her into the wall and she'd been laying on the cell floor ever since.

Klaus looked in her direction. He'd suddenly thought of something. "Do you have your phone?" He asked, a stern look in his eyes.

Elena nodded. "I guess he didn't think about it." She reached in her back pocket and pulled out her phone...or what was left of it. It crumbled with the impact of her hitting the wall. She was almost sure that she had a couple broken bones. So, the phone being broken wasn't a major surprise.

Klaus rolled his eyes. "So much for that." He almost laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, love. Just the situation is all. I think the universe is against me."

"Probably so." Elena admitted.

"Thank you for your honesty." Klaus' tone was laced with sarcasm once again as he glared in her direction.

"What? It probably is, but it doesn't matter, Klaus! You've fought the universe for how long now? What? Are you gonna give up? I don't think so!" She sighed.

The room fell silent.

Marcel came in later that day. "Eat.." He told Elena, shoving food her way.

She shook her head. She wasn't taking anything he had to offer. "Screw you."

"Fine. Starve. Your choice." He left, leaving the food with them.

It was silent. Days of silence. Weeks of silence. Elena loss track. Marcel eventually resorted to attempting to shove food down her throat. She fought him with all the strength she had left and he ended up biting her.

As soon as he drew her sweet blood into his mouth, he fell backward. He knew he'd made a mistake. Veins covered his face and he was changing color. Not dying. Turning. Turning back to a regular vampire. Elena and Klaus looked back and forth between one another. He was close enough to Klaus that he grabbed him and bit down, his venom going into Marcel.

Now, they had leverage. A bargain was to be made. Their freedom for his life. Elena and Klaus walked free after she finally convinced Klaus to stop torturing Marcel. Klaus Mikaelson will never completely change and Elena Gilbert was smiling about it.

"And, just what has that grin on your face?" He asked her as the sun hit him for the first time in five years. He looked up at the sky and back to her.

"You. You're just...Klaus."

"Did you expect me to be anybody else?"

"Nope." She popped the 'p.' Elena never realized how sexy that smirk was until that moment. She almost slapped herself for even thinking of it. "So, what's next?"

"We wake my brothers. My dear sisters will have to wait." Klaus walked through the crowds. He appeared to be watching his back and Elena could tell he was taking extra precautions. As they got to the New Orleans city limit, Elena led him into the woods to a little cottage. As soon as he walked up the steps and onto the porch, Hope came out and jumped into his arms, while Cadence greeted her mother. Elena kissed her forehead and hugged her tightly, before looking at Klaus.

Elena cleared her throat. She was about to say something before Hope spoke up. "This is daddy, Cady. I told you we had his eyes."

Cadence was silent for a moment only staring at the man. "Hi." She spoke, softly. The man's eyes did match hers.

Klaus smiled at her. "Hello sweetheart." He held out his other arm and Cadence flashed her eyes from it, back to him. She reluctantly went from her mom to her dad. "My girls." He walked into the house. Hayley and Elena exchanged looks and after he walked in, she walked out and closed the door.

"It's gonna be fine." She sat on the porch railing as Elena sat on the step.

"I know. Just can't help being a little scared. I mean...what happens next? What's next for...us?" She shook her head. "Do you guys really want me to stay with you?"

"I don't think you have a choice." She looked to Klaus, Hope, and Cadence through the window. "He may be an evil son of a bitch at times, but he loves them. They're his blood."

Elena followed her gaze. Her daughter looked up at her and waved. She waved back, a sad smile on her face. "You're right."

"This may not be what you envisioned, but Elena...you were alone when you came to him years ago. For the first time, everyone else had other obligations. You didn't want to be alone." Hayley consoled.

"I have a fear of being alone." Elena admitted, still staring in the window.

"You never will be again."

Elena's blood cured Elijah and Kol. Klaus had a witch bring them from Freya's dream. Kol was just how Elena remembered him. A narcissistic bastard. She didn't know the softer other side that was capable of loving Davina Claire, as Hayley had spoken about when she explained everything to her. As soon as he was up and fed, he started in.

"The doppelganger. Mmm..and she's human again. What a delight!" He smirked, circling her like a predator circles his prey. "Miss me, darling?"

Before Elena could respond, Klaus had Kol pinned to a wall. "Brother…I highly suggest you think before you act against the mother of my child."

Kol looked at him in confusion. "What?" After a glare from Klaus and Elena looking incredibly uncomfortable, he chuckled. "My! Spreading your seed around, are you?"

"Enough, Kol." Elijah yelled and everyone jumped. It wasn't often than Elijah raised his voice. "I have had enough. You've given me enough headaches to last ten more centuries in Freya's world." He walked out and Hayley walked with him, while Kol stormed out.

Klaus and Elena were left alone. Klaus said nothing. He walked over and raided the liquor cabinet. He got a bottle of bourbon and poured himself a glass with his back still to Elena.

"I'm starting to think you Mikaelsons are alcoholics." Elena commented, trying to lighten the mood. "Of course, you haven't had any in five years. So, I guess you get pass."

Klaus laughed and turned to her. She liked his laugh. It made him seem more human. "I would hope so, love." He reached behind him and got the bottle and a glass. He poured her a glass and handed it to her. Elena looked at him and then the glass before sipping from it. His expression turned somber. He moved closer to her. "Thank you." He said as he kissed her head and walked passed her without another word.

"Klaus, wait..." She said, just before he exited the room. He stopped and turned around. He was silent. "There was a night when I was pregnant. Right before you sent me away. You said that you were starting to believe the Petrova allure was a real thing…"

Klaus gave her that familiar smirk. "Was I drinking?" He asked in the sarcastic tone that she was used to him having with her.

Elena laughed this time. "That's a stupid question. You were always drinking." She looked down. "It was crazy. You weren't you. You were…I don't know."

Klaus closed the distance between the two of them. He put two of his fingers under her chin and lifted her head up to look at him. "I'm always me." His face was incredibly close to hers. She could smell the alcohol on his breath and felt it brush against her lips as she stared into his blue eyes. Waiting… Anticipating…And, suddenly he was taking a step back.

Elijah looked between the two. He had a hint of a smirk on his face. "Hayley and I are going to try and find a cure for our dear sisters. Hope is to stay here. We will be gone no longer than a few weeks."

Klaus nodded. "I'm going into the Quarter."

"And, why is that?"

Klaus looked between the doppelganger in front of him and his brother beside him. "When you come back, you'll find us at home."

"Home?"

"Home."

* * *

Note: I put the last three chapters together. Don't hate me, because I love you guys. Kisses. Thank you for all the reviews, favs, follows, and support. I gave you a tad of Klena, and as far as Klayley goes, I think I'm going to keep her with Elijah. For now. I personally LOATHE the Halijah ship, but their relationship is convenient for this story. As far as Klayley and Klena being a thing at the same time, it's probably not going to be the case. I loves you, anyway.

Until next time.


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